Praise God for what He has done

I was visiting with some friends last night (actually they came to mine but I just really like that term 'visiting with' which is used by my Canadian cousins!) and one of them mentioned how she'd been realising the importance of thanking God for the things/miracles he's done for us, in order to build our faith now. Apparently Todd Bentley has said how it helped him pray with more faith for miracles for others.

I thought that was interesting and worth remembering because it is SO easy to forget all the amazing ways in which He has helped us in the past. But, outside the context of needing more faith for things we're asking now, I'm not sure if it's as important a reason than to worship just because who God is. (Although... maybe focusing on God's goodness to us in the past is a way to understand more who He is?)

During prayer meeting not that long ago, the leader, referring to the worship song, shows Job, who God had just stripped of everything, being asked by God to praise Him. Because the attributes of his creator God demanded worship & acknowledgement. (From a fave chapter of mine - Isaiah 40)

We had a woman speaker at church a few months ago. (She wasn't preaching though, so sadly no controversy there!) Anyway, she was fab. She came from International Justice Mission (IJM) a Christian organisation who take cases referred to them of legal or social injustice.

The examples she gave of people they've helped were people whose suffering has been extreme but are now so thankful to God for rescuing them - but, like Job, they praised God & clung to him in the middle of extreme suffering; while their thankfulness now is outworking into social action of the sort that rescued them. Most memorably, the girl from a devout Christan family (Elizabeth) who'd been sold by her aunt to a brothel aged only 11. After holding out for 3 months' despite threats and food withheld she had to submit to the suffering. She took the risk of telling the undercover worker from IJM her story & was finally freed - after a year. On the wall of the room she had written the words to Psalm 27 v 1 - 4. However, when she was released and one of the team wanted to read it with her, she insisted instead on reading the words from Psalm 34.

Or the boy who had to have his right arm amputated after being brutally taken by police officers for the £1.00 in his pocket and then accused of robbery & thrown in gaol for months until the mission had secured his release (after they found the real perpetrator). This young man is now studying law so that he can get involved in this kind of work. He said that when he sometimes fancies a lie-in mornings, he'll see his arm & thank God for it because it prompts him to get up because there's so much to do.

I long ago copied this quote from a writer on another blog, I've forgotten which one now, who writes (about Psalm 7:17) that she realised God was teaching her a very important lesson when He asked her to praise him while she was on her way to hospital having a miscarriage!
"I learned through this passage that we are called to praise God because He is righteous. Not necessarily because of what He has done for us in the past or what He will do for us in the future. Instead we are called to praise Him simply because of who He is. In the middle of driving to the hospital, not knowing what lay ahead, I found great comfort in praising God despite my circumstances."

Like Elizabeth, like Job, she focused on the praiseworthy attributes of our father God and praised him out of obedience and it turned into natural praise. But also like Elizabeth, like TB (!) I want to keep remembering all the ways He has blessed me in the past. Two reasons to praise God! Maybe then I'll be filled with faith and praise!

Do you trust me?

The issue of trust is so important with friendships/relationships of any kind. If you can't trust someone, then there's no relationship. Interesting then that it's so key in Christianity, considering this is a faith that hangs on relationship; with our creator God.

We can see how crucial it is when Jesus says 'blessed are those who have not seen & have yet believed'(John 20 v 29) See also Hebrews 11 v 6 "Without faith it's impossible to please God; he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He rewards those who seek Him". Throughout the bible one of the most consistent commands from God is for his people to trust Him.

And you don't have to think very hard to see there is actually a lot of trust required. Among other things, we need to trust that:


God chose before the creation of the world (predestination) "... to be holy & blameless in His sight" Eph. 1 v 14
but
We need to make a choice to trust him (free will) - Acts 2 v 21, Rom 10 v 14 - 15, Rom 9 v 30

Jesus has defeated Satan & therefore is victorious; not a dualist God fighting for control of the world
but
His children do not always see the victory in our circumstances

Jesus is waiting until all appointed have been saved before He returns - 3 Peter 3 v 8 - 9
but
He is also gracious so more people have a chance to repent (same verses)

God loves to bless us - Eph 4 v 14 +, 1 Thess 5 v 16
but
Suffering is a key component of the Christian faith - 1 Peter 1 v 6, 1 Thess 3 v 3


YET - have you noticed - the more we trust God, the more we see how faithful He is. Even when we've trusted Him & things haven't gone as we've wanted ... especially when you trust Him when things don't go as you've wanted. It's then - I find - that God reveals understanding to us; as we trust Him. And I think - if you feel you should be able to understand everything in God's word with your intellect, then you're missing the point; just because God has chosen to reveal himself to us in His word, through His son & Holy Spirit ... doesn't mean He's not an awesome, glorious, inscrutable God (Isaiah 40 v 18)


And I know, from experience and His word, that I can always trust Him to ... never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13) love me whatever I do, whatever I'm like ... (Jeremiah 31 v3) and that He longs for us to be open with him, to come to him with all our troubles all our longings & whatever our circumstances.
Anyway, if I could fully understand God (Isaiah 55) what would there be to worship?

Do you need me?

Well, I am, as always, navigating the swings, roundabouts & other various hurdles that make up the fairground of life (!) I needed, on Sunday, to remind myself of some strides forward I've taken in recent months, in order to prevent dismay at the recurrence of certain reactions.

Good; Ridiculous amount of inner healing during the last year ... (even though, the gentle way God is bringing it up means I sometimes feel worse than better, big strides here) ... especially in areas of:

Honesty (face to face and online) - seriously; this person who only revealed big hurts/issues to a few new (especially provided) friends - now blah blah blah-ing my faults & lessons for any Tom, Dick, or Harry to read & hopefully be encouraged by (well, Tom or Dick or Harry; one of them at least!)

Confidence - yep, the person who still essentially thought so little inherently of herself that it felt exposing even to comment on someone else's blog now barging (well, sort of; gently & tentatively) into an groups/friendships at my new church & blah blah blah-ing ... ( as above!)

Gradual reaping of promises; on Sunday the visiting preacher began speaking on the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' cloak & was healed; well this was a word given me during the prophecy workshop last year, that I would just have to hold out my hands & I'd be healed, like the lady in the story. Although that has been happening more since Rob Rufus, I went up this time and had some healing and more words from the guy, who didn't understand them but they made sense to me, which is always exciting.

New confidence & desire to approach God to be blessed/worship him at any time, without need for justifying it in my mind etc. and able to worship more from the heart.

BUT

Doesn't Satan love to attack us! And encouraging peeps and praising God more (& feeling happier as a result) is bound to get on his nerves so it was no surprise really that Sunday afternoon I was afflicted by a short term but bad bout of the blues, brought forth mainly by a realisation that I wasn't needed when I'd thought I was.

Is it wrong to want to be needed? Maybe not; I long ago learned not to beat myself up about these kind of questions and everyone need to be needed to some extent. Anyway, I don't think it's 'wrong' - or if it is, only inasmuch as it gives us a tendency to put the onus on ourselves rather than on Jesus, to be a help to someone.

But, it's important to remember, when we're attacked by accusations from the 'father of lies' that there could still be something to be learned. I don't think it's been wrong to have found a pleasure in being able to be there for someone at the right moment or to be able to encourage them with the right words through my own experience; to be useful in fact. But, two interesting (I think) points:
1. I have noticed that every time I pray with someone, the Holy Spirit has been moving in me & healing ME! And
2. I also realised, thinking how I've been blessed by people in recently weeks, that a way we can be needed (to meet a person's need!) is to allow ourselves to be helped/blessed by them.

Maybe the question I should be asking is, do you need me ... to be blessed by you? Altogether more humbling though; isn't it?!

What are you waiting for?

Leafing through my blogging book for some inspiration last night & I found this quote (from Max Lucardo, I think!)

"We are often tempted to think that we're treading water right now, waiting for some other time, some more important position. You don't get to choose your time, your time chooses you. You are where and who you are for a reason"

I'm really enjoying a lovely period of improvement & healing & being able to do more; enjoying work (mostly!) loving church and different new friendships in which God is both using & blessing me; it's a lovely season with, thanks to Jesus, "moments when life is perfect".

But, oh my word - I have been yawning my way through this week. Unusually, I've a headache & feel knackered by the end of the day, I'm still battling residual/habitual strongholds of resentful thoughts, even though the accompanying anger/irritation is gone. And Friday night out with colleagues I had to leave really early (I mean, before 7.30!!) because my whole face ached with the strain of being sociable at the end of the week. BUT the healing times are good useful ones; nice ones - and within myself, slowly but surely, I can feel a lightness that feels as if it's working it's way up.

But despite the 'fits & starts' and gradual nature of the healing I can honestly say that at the moment, I'm not 'waiting' for things that might come. I'm not "treading water" waiting for complete healing or... a better job/more responsibility/money - a home of my own/a chance to be married/have a ministry/look after children. I'm just making the most of what's happening, this lovely new experience of God & knowledge that we can come to him to be blessed at any time, whatever has been happening. And opportunities to serve him by reaching out to people that He's putting in my way. (Although would I say this if I wasn't seeing the fulfilment of some healing promises made over the last year or so?!)

There was something, however, that I've been waiting for; for more 'power' for witnessing. The preach on Sunday, by a visiting speaker who was so good & inspiring for this. This has been something I've really been struggling with, but the guilt I was feeling has been highlighted to me and I'm not letting that happen now.

So since relaxing about this, I think there's been little opportunities.
And, as if in confirmation that God knows where my heart is about this, I had the chance to be involved in the reaping of others' sowing on Sunday. A girl a few rows in front of me put her hand half-way up in response to the speaker. Then, when he asked people to come to the front, she looked to her left & right and was clearly torn. So I just popped out of my seat on the end, stood at the end of the row to catch her eye & inclined my head to see if she wanted to come down the front with me. And she did. Yay! And afterwards, when we were praying for her (she wanted me to stay, that was nice for me seeing as I'm a complete stranger!) it was lovely to be able to encourage her & pray with her and see God use me & the other lady, who did know her, as we brought similar things up in our prayers; even though others had clearly put in the
work of bringing her to that point.

But, no matter what , I know that - rather than wait until I'm suddenly loads better at witnessing - I've still got to get down to praying for people before witnessing to them, be disciplined in getting with God and get to know Him more & more so He can use me more & more; because God will use me now, if I'm obedient & ready.

And surely that's true whatever our circumstances; whatever we're waiting for.

Words about Witnessing

I wrote this a few weeks ago when I was thinking about my favourite words and how I could use them in a rhyme. This was when I was struggling about my ineffectual witnessing. (And, no, it's NOT geeky to have favourite words. And no I DON'T have too much time on my hands; it took me about 20 minutes (which you can probably tell!). No comments about rhyme & metre & the lack thereof; please!)

Audacious
Outrageous
That's what you've got to be
To boast about Jesus
So all around can see

A shabby faith
A tatty truth
Without the life to show
A life changed by Jesus
So all around can know

It isn't spurious
It's well prodigious
The freedom we can have
To live each day for Jesus
So all can know his love

Extravagant & Disciplined God

I'm really discovering how generous, giving ... & extravagant God is. With himself, with his grace; with his love. He loves to bless us & reveal himself to us and surprise us with all sorts of unexpected blessings.
Genesis 12 v 2; Numbers 6, 27; Deut 15 v 4, Psalm 5 v 12, 115 v 13, (Psalms are full of blessings promises) Ezekial 34 v 26 talks of 'showers of blessings'; and there are times in our life when we can experience this; God longs to shower us with blessings.

But this extravagant God is probably not such a common conception of Him with many Christians as well as in 'the world'. More familiar probably is the idea of discipline. Certainly that was the case for me, until recently. Yet, if - as I'm realising - God's message of Grace cannot be off-set by the law (Rob Rufus' the other week) - is it still pertinent to focus on discipline in my walk?

There is so much teaching in the bible that covers self discipline, as well as about patience, perseverance ... all different aspects of discipline if we think about it.
Verses include 2 Timothy 1 v 6, Titus 1 v 8, Proverbs 1 v 3, Colossians 6 - 7 (overflowing with thankfulness is the result of being 'rooted & built up in him')
Ephesians ch 6 Armour of God I think speaks of discipline as it instructs us to 'put it on' daily
Hebrews 6 v 12 and chapter 12 and 1 Corinthians 9 v 24 especially is the one I think of where Paul is really clear on this.

Yes - I'm increasingly seeing the extravagant & generous side of God. But I've got to be careful, as I learn about different 'aspects' of God, not to turn my back on the more familiar ones, that might involve more work, patience and perseverance.
I've really experienced, & in the past, focused on in my Christian walk, the concept of persevering in prayer; and seeing how power can 'kick in' as we step out in faith & obedience. God is a God of discipline; of patience. And the more I thought about this, the more ways this is true I came up with.

A friend recently pointed out that when we are disciplined with reading God's word then He can speak to us more.

Jackie Pullinger - who we were looking at in Kids last Sunday (during our People of God section) disciplined herself to 15 minutes praying in tongues every day. And after a few weeks she noticed that she was approaching the 'right' people - in other words people who wanted to hear the message (whose hearts God had prepared).

Joni - in one of her books I was revisiting recently - recounts a situation where she was sitting in a church service and really tempted with lustful/self-pitying thoughts as she looked at the back of the head of a guy who reminded her of an old boyfriend before her accident/disability. The way she describes determinedly bringing God into the situation; praying for the unknown man, praising God for things though she didn't feel like it - sounds like hard work! But after about 10 minutes she felt God's spirit just wash through her with peace & joy and she knew she'd triumphed. (Irrelevantly but interestingly... she later married the guy!)

There's no doubt that when we are disciplined in our walk, as commanded then God can use us. ("There's no room for sloppy, occasional, half-hearted prayer in God's army") The best reason I think to be disciplined is so that we grow & mature & learn to recognise when God is speaking to us. We need to be disciplined because God chooses to work through us.

I came across a programme the other night (2 more weeks of TV license & suddenly I kept watching telly.. I did cancel it though; this week!) where a fashion guru-type lady person taught a couple of shop owners to realise their gifts & potential and have the confidence to step out in them. This was the wife; the husband was more stubborn, opinionated; he wouldn't listen, he thought he knew. Sound familiar?! But they both had to learn and submit themselves, almost; to the authority and teaching of the expert. But by the end the wife had really changed and grown in her gifts and was happy because she was doing what she loved.

God is so patient; he trains us (often through adversity, if we let Him) and teaches us to discover our own giftings and then, as we use them, he reveals & gives us more.

I guess what I'm saying is - He blesses us through our obedience when we're persevering, patience, disciplined. But sometimes He just chooses to bless us anyway!

Doing the 'steps to freedom in Christ' was a discipline every night that yielded fruit of healing. But there are times when I don't have it in me to be disciplined about praying - less of these now but still some - and He knows this. Sometimes I feel his outpouring when I'm praying with someone; sometimes when I just lie on my bed & ask Him to bless me & He just pores it out; fill me with love and thankfulness & praise for Him.

Our God is a disciplined AND extravagant God. We see the discipline of His son; yet the extravagance of the way He poured out His grace on the cross.

Let's be disciplined in our walk with Him. But let's focus more on His grace & mercy. What a witness that would be!